Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo is witnessing emotional farewells as Japan prepares to return its last remaining giant pandas to China, marking the end of a five-decade tradition. The twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, born in June 2021, will depart on January 27 under the terms of the China-Japan panda loan agreement expiration, leaving Japan without pandas for the first time since 1972.
The zoo has implemented sophisticated crowd management measures to accommodate overwhelming public interest. Since December 16, visitor numbers have been restricted, with an online reservation system introduced on December 23. The final viewing period from January 14-25 utilized a lottery system that attracted intense competition, with approximately 24.6 applications for each available slot. The zoo estimates 178,000 visitors will have viewed the pandas during this farewell period.
Japanese visitors have expressed deep emotional connections to the departing pandas. Tokyo resident Tezuka, though unsuccessful in securing a viewing slot, still visited the zoo to participate in the collective farewell experience. ‘I couldn’t see the pandas, but I still came,’ she told China Daily. ‘Watching photos taken by others and helping visitors take pictures made me feel part of the farewell.’
Another visitor, Shirakuma, who identifies as part of Japan’s ‘panda generation,’ secured access through persistent online applications. She recalled childhood visits to see the original pandas Kang Kang and Lan Lan with her father, noting how pandas have provided ‘fond memories at different stages of her life.’
Ueno Zoo has organized extensive farewell activities including commemorative photo spots, developmental photo exhibitions, keeper message displays, and an online message board where Japanese netizens have posted heartfelt messages such as ‘Thank you for your companionship all this time’ and ‘Thank you, lovely pandas, for healing me.’
The pandas will undergo quarantine at China’s Ya’an Bifengxia base upon arrival. This panda diplomacy program, initiated in 1972 to commemorate normalized diplomatic relations, has been widely regarded as successful, yielding significant progress in breeding techniques, veterinary care, and public education. Over 30 pandas have been loaned to Japan or born there during this cooperation period.